Hallow's Eve Weekend

consisted of...

dinner at outback, pumpkin carving, and frozen hot chocolate at jacklyn's.

erica & her cat

jacklyn & her owl

allison & her "trick or treat"

me & my "M"

alex & her haunted house (?)

meagan & her yorkie

all lit up!

so delicious!

murder mystery party and the skeleton key.

norman d'adly (john) - husband to vicki

vicki d'adly (alex) - new jersey housewife

dr. chelsea barren (meagan) - psychiatrist & author

kathryn lawless (jacklyn) - librarian cat lady

enrique "estelle" graves (allison) - farm hand

michael "michelle" nightshade (me) - new york real estate developr

pretty creepy, but even though i HATE scary movies, i really liked the story and the ending

Always On Our Minds

(Do you see Heidelberg?!)

I was just thinking the other night how long Germany has been in conversation between Nathan and I. While Nathan was in OTS, only a few months after we started dating, he had to put his preferences of his first assignment at one of six weather hubs--here, Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, North Carolina, and Germany. Nathan chose here since it was the closest he could get to me (in Abilene), but said that if we hadn't met, he would have put in for Germany first thing. His best friend Sean was stationed there for a while and he had visited Sean and his wife Susann a few weeks before we met and really enjoyed it. Then, before he found out where he was actually assigned, we had a conversation about what would happen if they chose to station him in Germany right out of OTS anyway. Because they are the military and are real cool like that. He wanted us to get married right when he graduated OTS if that happened so that I could go with him. That plan scared me to death. Not only had we only known each other such a short time, but I didn't feel ready for such a leap into marriage/overseas living all rolled into one. Even though I knew he was The One by then. Thankfully, that was not God's plan for us. Ever since Nathan was assigned here in our beloved Shreveport, we have dreamed of getting stationed overseas at just this time--while we are still young & childless and while Nathan is still in the military (obviously). We knew it was a long shot, but we hoped. And when the initial assignment list came out, we were so excited to see Germany on there more than once. Still a long shot, but at least it was listed! Then a few more additions came, and Germany appeared again. Nathan's dream sheet included three spots in Germany and one in California. The odds were totally for us, but still... you never know. And then came the day Nathan called to say he had been assigned. I still remember that conversation on our bed when I came home from work. Some shock but so much excitement! It still doesn't feel real that we are moving. I don't think until we hit the airport will it become reality for us, but we can see so many good things coming from this next step in our lives. Number 1: We get to travel Europe on the cheap. We are amazed! Number 2: Nathan's job schedule will drastically improve. We were talking just the other night about how we have no concept of a lot of other married couples' idea of norm - aka getting to see each other every night after work for dinner/hanging out, having every weekend off together, etc. We have become so used to seeing so little of each other and it's awful. Well, I still get emotional about it at points and have meltdowns. Just ask Nathan. But possibly only one night a week that we get to do something together... Only sleeping in the same bed together half of the year or less... Being a state apart for weeks... This is not what married people do, right? Anyways, like I said, Nathan's schedule will change how we live our life together and we can't wait for it! Germany has long been a dream for us and we are glad God saw fit to send us there. The next three years are sure to hold lots of adventure for us and we say, bring it on!

Madly In Love with Mad Men

I finished the last episode of the latest season of Mad Men the other night. I watched all four seasons in about as many weeks. I was obsessed. But I had good reason. Nathan has been gone and I have nothing else to do all by myself here at night.

At first, I didn't really like it all that much. It was a lot slower and more subtle than most TV shows or movies I tend to watch. I caught myself thinking, "Wait... Why did he just make that face?" or "Who in the world is that person?" But once I was two-thirds of the way through the first season, I realized everything gets explained eventually. More naturally.

The other kicker for me was the plethora (yes, I just used a 50 cent word!) of affairs. Give me violence. Give me bad words. Give me drug/alcohol abuse. I am not a fan, and cringe at a lot of it, but watching people have affairs literally makes me sick to my stomach.

However, the rest of the storyline was way too intriguing for me to stop. Like I said, I was obsessed. I love the outfits and the hair and the interior design. I would say a lot of what was trendy in the 1960s is all over people and homes today. Betty is absolutely gorgeous, as is Joan. I read on Wikipedia (so reliable... I know...) that there is supposed to be a Season 5. For some reason, I thought it was over before I began watching. I hope the Wiki-writers are right. I need some more Don & Betty Draper, Roger Sterling, Pete Campbell, Peggy Olson, and Joan Holloway Harris.

Mr. Clean

I love having a sparkling clean home. I don't always keep our place that way, but cleaning it up and making it shine makes me feel... peaceful. Once it's done, of course. Everything seems happier and easier to deal with when all is put away and scrubbed.

The kitchen counters/sink and the bathroom are always top priority to me. If someone is coming over, I want those to be clean if nothing else. If those are done, I feel like half of my job is over. If they aren't, I feel like the rest doesn't even need to be bothered with.

Nathan, however, has his own top priority. If he comes home after I have cleaned, do you know the first thing he notices? And sometimes the only thing he mentions?

That the floors are vacuumed. Yep. That is never ever on my radar. When I lived in an apartment by myself before we got married, I vacuumed... maybe... five times total. That's like once every two months. I hope you don't look at me differently now, but that's the truth. As long as I can't SEE anything on the floor, I assume it's as good as clean. But Nathan... that man... He says the carpet feels different after it's vacuumed. His feet must be more sensitive than mine. But by golly, I make sure I vacuum when I clean now. I like to make my handsome man smile : )

Window Shopping

ModCloth {http://www.modcloth.com/} has THE cutest dresses and a lot of them are pretty affordable. If only I didn't need certain things (like undergarments) before we move to Germany, I would be spending my monthly money on one of these dresses. I really love the "All-Expense-Paid Dress in Vacation" and the "Infinite Dress."

I might be able to justify buying the second one next month. I mean, I could wear it with my skinny jeans and a cardigan once the weather over there isn't a freezing 20 degrees, right? I really wish I could go on a clothes/shoes shopping spree right now. I am doing pretty well on replacing things at a slow and steady pace, but sometimes I feel pretty impatient. Instead of walking out of a store with one pair of jeans, I want to have like five bag-fuls of clothes in my hands. Patience... Patience is a virtue. It is really teaching me to prioritize, which I am terrible at. I am a terribly impatient perfectionist (say that five times fast and let it sink in). I want it all now and I want it all to my standards, whatever they may be. This causes many an expectation to be broken. Patience... Patience and Contentment... And window shopping.

"Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live." ~Author Unknown

This past weekend was so so so good. I can't help but smile : )

Matt came to visit for his Fall Break and got in right as I got off work on Thursday. Matt and I went to the dreadful grocery store and picked up pizza for dinner. Nathan had a three day weekend and got in around 9:30pm, so he had the rest of the pizza and then we all watched the latest episode of The Office.

On Friday, I had work, Nathan had stuff to take care of on base, and Matt slept. After lunch, the guys came up to work with me to help me out. They claim they did my job and I slacked the whole time. Not even close to being true. But I do appreciate the things they helped me out on. I got off work early, so Nathan and I took a nap and then we all went to pick up my rings at McCary's. I had been without it for a week while they soldered my engagement and wedding rings together and it was killing me. I had to wear one of my James Avery rings from high school on that finger. Turned around, of course, to look like just a plain silver ring. I was so happy to get my rings back. It looks so good! The poor things hadn't been cleaned since we got married over a year ago. And I never take them off, so they were looking pretty dingey, even though I didn't know it. The only bad thing is that now that it is just one wide band, it is much harder to get off. I was able to slip it off pretty easy in the shower, but otherwise it won't slide over my knuckle. It makes me a little nervous but I guess it doesn't matter all that much since I never take them off. Meagan said I might not be able to wear my ring(s) when I am pregnant, but if my fingers swell, I don't think I would have been able to wear them if they were separate either. Plus, that's a while down the road. Once we got back to our apartment, it was a mad dash to shower, get a little ready, and start dinner. Meagan, Ian, Alex and John came over for dinner and dessert and some hang out time before going out to the Eldorado. The food was a hit, which was a good thing because it took way too long to make everything and everyone was starving. We chilled at the Celebrity Lounge inside the Eldorado and then us girls got our dance on. While we were shaking it, we noticed a big group of girls next to us. One of them had on a small, tight dress and Christian Louboutin heels. Then Meagan realized it was Vanessa Milano. Then we saw Nick Lachey standing nearby in the VIP area, which is just a roped off section with tables and chairs where you have to order bottle service. He never came onto the dance floor, but it was really cool to see celebrities. The security guy at the door said Kate Beckinsale was supposed to show up too, but we never saw her. (Just a note: I am in no way a celebrity stalker. I hardly keep up with all of that business. It's just cool to see them here in little ole Shreveport.) After a while, we went into the casino and Nathan played Blackjack with $20, won two games, and then bet it all on black at the Roulette table. I had suggested we just walk away with our winnings at Blackjack, but Nathan decided to just go for it. Good thing he did because we won $90. Well, $70 if you count the $20 he put in originally to play. We were all so excited! We immediately cashed out and headed back into the Lounge to dance a little more. The DJ wasn't very good and we weren't happy with the song selections, so we left around 1am. Matt said that night was the best of the whole weekend.

On Saturday, we slept pretty late, then got ready and headed to The Boardwalk for some shopping. Matt got some running shorts at the Nike store and I got some new tennis shoes. I also got a $30 pair of jeans at Banana Republic and some Bare Minerals eyeshadow that I have borrowed from my sis before. We took some pictures before leaving to catch the Real Madrid game (soccer) at home. Matt went to get a haircut and then picked us up some Starbucks. Once the game was over, I got ready (took forever because my straightener died) and then we went to eat at Superior Grill. YUM! We didn't have to wait too long, but there were some really obnoxious college girls near us that were pretty annoying. After dinner, we were planning to see a movie, but the next movie times were two hours away, so we decided to go home and watch The Hangover instead. Nathan and I hadn't seen that since our honeymoon. We were laughing so hard. Then we watched some Dave Chappelle. Hilarious. MTV Cribs and Purple Drink. Look them up.

Sunday wasn't much of anything. Nathan packed up his stuff and showed me what needed to go to storage, what needed to come on the plane with us, and what he needed in our first shipment. I got over 4,000 songs from Matt, so now I have music : ) We also took the dining room table and the "TV stand" to Goodwill. Good riddance! I am so glad those are gone and we can get replacements when we get to Germany. After some lunch and chatting, Matt left for Abilene and then Nathan left for Mississippi. It was SO quiet in the apartment. I organized all the music I got from Matt and uploaded the pictures we took Saturday onto Facebook. Ate some dinner, then went to bed.

I can't wait until Nathan is done in Biloxi. He might get to graduate early and be home in three weeks instead of four, which I am happy about. But, that also means he would have to go back to work here at Barksdale, which totally sucks. We are planning a trip with Lisa and her boyfriend John to New Orleans the last weekend Nathan is supposed to be in Biloxi, so that might get cancelled if he is working the weekend shift here, which is so crappy. Ahh, the military life.

Here's a good picture of the three of us at dinner on Saturday night:

No Grace for My Imagination

From the girlTalk blog:

"After thirty-four years of mothering, I’ve discovered that most of the bad things I imagined never actually came true. But there have been other trials—ones I never anticipated. That’s why Elisabeth Elliot’s wise advice has been invaluable to me in fighting fear: 'There is no grace for your imagination.' God does not sprinkle grace over every path my fear takes. He does not rush in with support and encouragement for every doomsday scenario I can imagine. No, instead He warns me to stay off those paths: 'Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil' (Ps. 37:8). There is no grace for our imagination. That’s why our fearful imaginings produce bad fruit: anxiety, lack of joy, futile attempts to control. There is no grace for our imagination. But God does promise sufficient, abundant grace for every real moment of our lives. That’s why the Proverbs 31 woman can 'laugh at the future in contrast with being worried or fearful about it' (ESV Study Bible note on Pr. 31:25)."

I know this is about mothering, which I am not a participant of, but it speaks to me, my situation, and my personality so well. You give me a scenario and I can come up with a whole slew of "what if's." Sometimes this is helpful in that I am prepared for a lot of possibilities day in and day out. However, the fear it produces sometimes freezes me. I can become so overwhelmed and distraught over what might happen that I can't even function in the here and now. I think two people in the world know how terrible I can be about this: my mom and Nathan. Mostly Nathan though. I can't count the number of times we have had discussions about upcoming things and Nathan has to tell me over and over again to stop being so stuck in my fear. That is especially true of our upcoming move. Especially since I have to do a lot of it with Nathan being in Mississippi. Sometimes I feel very confident and capable of handling all that will literally be thrown at us in the coming months, but most of the time I am going through my head all the things I need to do to prepare for this possibility or that possibility. What if we mess up and can't get our car over there? What if I pack something we really need in the shipment that won't get to us until January? What if I don't clear the medical exams? And on and on and on. Except this time, Nathan is a little more with me on the "we might get ourselves in real trouble if we don't know what we are doing." So we are both trying to remind each other that people get through this and as long as we get over to Germany, we are fine. The rest isn't really all that important. And my goodness, we are getting to go to Germany! It's hard to think past December and look forward to all the great times we are about to have in Europe. I just need to stop letting my imagination run. That is not where God is. He is here in the present with me, and standing in my future. Not in Jennifer's Wonderland of Scary Things That Might Happen. So please pray that Nathan and I will both have peace about moving the military way and wisdom/discernment in the decisions we have to make regarding the move.

Cinematic Adventures

the social network.

nathan and i really liked it. it might all be fiction, but it was a really entertaining movie. full of drama.

killers.

i loved it. it was so cute/funny. nathan thought it was just ok.

life as we know it.

a little bit sad and pretty predictable, but again... so cute!

a side note: the house in this movie is beautiful and katherine heigl's clothes/hair are gorgeous.

Good Advice on Being Married

This is from an article on marriage. It's the advice a dad gave his son right before he got married.

* Praising your wife in front of other people does wonders for her self-esteem.

* If you give a compliment, mean it.

* Criticizing your wife in front of others, even in jest, is always a bad idea. Always.

* Sometimes, she doesn't want you to solve the problem. She just wants you to listen. I know, I don't understand it either.

* Don't fall for that line of garbage that says marriage is a ball and chain. Think about the people who tell you that. They would give anything to have what you have.

* Sometimes, impractical as it seems, it's better to spend $500 on a trip than $500 on furniture. Provided you have the $500.

* Credit card debt is a monster. Don't fall for it, even for the short term.

* Don't keep financial secrets from each other. They do not remain secret.

* Live on less than you make. In fact, learn to live on one income. Swim against the tide.

* Tithe. Not only does it honor God, it also brings focus to the rest of your money decisions.

* Before attempting even the smallest plumbing job, know where the whole-house water shutoff is located. Just sayin'.

* Finding a recreational activity you love doing together will change your life. Especially if it's cheap or free.

* Laughing together is even better for you than exercising together.

* A cheap, used car gets you to exactly the same places in the same amount of time as a new car does. Except when it breaks down.

* Don't be so afraid of hurting the other's feelings that you never really talk about how you feel. It took five years of marriage before I finally told your mom I didn't like grape jelly, which she'd been putting on my peanut butter sandwiches every day.

* If you're in a store together, be careful about saying you like an item. You are likely to receive it as a gift.

* Bubble gum is not an advisable electrical fastener.

* Wanting a pet is a lot more fun than owning a pet.

* Don't be too embarrassed to talk about sex together.

* Praying together every day might be the most intimate thing you can do. Even more than sex.

* Pray together before any big decision and most small ones. The ultimate decision is far less important than the fact you are praying together about it.

* Be stewards, not consumers.

* Moving every few years is a good way to take stock of how much unnecessary stuff you have.

* Observe a no-TV week once in a while. It'll still be there when you get back … and there still won't be anything worth watching.

* Find regular times of quietness, both together and alone. Watching a Cubs game doesn't count.

* Do not attempt exploratory surgery on a broken dishwasher. You can call the appliance repairman now or later. Save years of humiliation. Call him now.

* Hold your career with a light touch. It's not who you are, it's only what you do.

* Focus outwardly. Together, you two can impact your community and your world. Don't settle for simply entertaining yourselves.

* Find a good church and get involved. Don't just be spectators. Churches have enough of those.

* If you wait until you feel confident and ready to have kids, you will never have kids.

* "Honor your father and mother" applies at all ages. And it's not just for their sake.

* Talk together, often, about your hopes and dreams. Don't laugh at hers.

* When you fight, fight fairly and cleanly. No yelling, no escalating, no pouting.

* Approach each day with a thankful heart. It's a freeing thing to realize that no one owes you anything. First Timothy 6:6 says, "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

* Your wife is an amazing gift from God. Treat her that way.

* No marriage is bulletproof. Guard it with everything you have, and entrust it to God.

Always. Sometimes. Never.

I always...

put up my shopping cart.

like to put clean sheets on our bed.

love to smack my gum.

drink a Dr. Pepper for breakfast at work.

love Thanksgiving of all the holidays the most.

dream of having perfect skin.

wish I had a special talent, like singing or playing the piano.

I sometimes...

feel bad for not recycling.

wish I could go back to my college days. But with Nathan in my life.

worry that I will never teach.

like taking/being in pictures.

remember how thankful I should be for what God has given me and who He has made me.

shock myself (and others) with some of my "blonde" moments.

workout and eat healthy.

I never...

like taking out the trash.

dread going to the dentist.

regret any of my major life decisions.

feel like I look my age.

turn down a chance to go shopping.

want to go skydiving.

miss an opportunity to procrastinate.

Not Me

My fire alarm definitely didn't start incessantly beeping a few weeks ago. And it wasn't me who pulled it off the wall, hoping that would shut it up. I didn't put it in a cabinet where my husband put the other fire alarm that started incessantly beeping. That fire alarm surely did not continue to beep inside that cabinet and I definitely didn't hear it through the closed doors. Which means I most certainly didn't finally decide to set it out on our balcony. And it definitely didn't start going off when our neighbors below us grilled out one night. I did not wave it inside our apartment to get it to stop and then put it right back out on the balcony. And I most certainly don't hear it beeping right now, through the balcony door.

So if you hear a beeping when you walk by our building, don't come knock on our door. Because it wasn't me.

Tour Debriefing

Last week was absolutely fabulous! Nothing spectacular but so so good. My trip started with a pit stop at the dumpster in our apartment complex. Three bags of trash. Three weeks since Nathan left. And the only reason I took it then, and didn't wait even longer, was due to my upcoming nine day absence. Nathan surely would have killed me! After fueling up on Chick-fil-A and Starbucks, I was on my way to Dallas. And I must say, I am so in LOVE with the GPS in our car! Sure, I have had my iPhone, and it has served me well in this new city, but the one in my car talks to me and shows me helpful pictures when I need to exit or stay in certain lanes. I am not directionally challenged or anything, but some highways make me nervous. I am not a fan of driving across three or four lanes to get to my exit. So I made it to Sarah's house without any turnarounds or dangerous lane changes. I really enjoyed getting together with Sarah, Lisa and Kelly. It was been so long (graduation in May 2008, in fact) since we have all been together. We all have lots of things going on, but it's funny how we are all still pretty much the same people deep down. But more grown up, of course. At least I hope so... After spending the night at Sarah's mom's and eating lunch at Jason's Deli, it was off to San Antonio for a few days. Most of my time there was spent eating huevos rancheros for breakfast and helping Mom clean out and organize stuff. I loved it and was rewarded with some new winter clothes : ) Wednesday afternoon it was off to Houston to stay the night with Lisa--to break up the ten hour drive to Biloxi to see Nathan. We had a good time cutting our fingers on knives (accidents, within minutes of each other, there has to be a prize for that!) and chatting about all kinds of things. Then Thursday morning I drove the rest of the way to see my handsome man. We didn't do a whole lot. We did see The Social Network (we really liked it!) and Killers (I loved it, Nathan thought it was just ok). Then I drove back to Shreveport on Sunday. I don't mind being back at work and it's good to see my friends, but man I hate being all by myself in this apartment. But next weekend Nathan will be back here and Matt is coming to visit, so that will all be really fun! For now, I should probably take out the trash...